The programme offers people based in the South West and traditionally underrepresented in the UK’s arts workforce* a chance to catapult their career.

Applications for the 8-month bursary-supported training programme, which is generously supported by The Calleva Foundation, are due by 16 August.

Launched in 2022, the programme has nurtured 8 emerging leaders to date, each of whom continues to pursue a freelance portfolio career in music.

 

Two young people will begin making music in hospitals, schools, community centres and more, when they join Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) as BSO Young Associates later this year.

Offering a platform from which to catapult a career, the bursary-supported training opportunity welcomes people from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in the UK’s arts sector*. This includes people from low-income backgrounds, of Global Majority heritage, or identifying as disabled, D/deaf or neurodivergent.

The BSO’s Young Associates are supported through practical experience, training, and one-to-one mentoring from the Orchestra’s award-winning Participate team and its BSO Associate Musicians, who live and work throughout the region.  The Young Associates will also work alongside the Orchestra’s professional musicians in community settings.

The part-time programme – which runs biennially – is tailored to each Young Associate, who will commit around 10 days each month.

All eight alumni from the programme have continued to pursue freelance portfolio careers in music – with the group joining the BSO Participate Music Leader Network. The group meets annually for CPD and networking, with several members continuing to work on the Orchestra’s projects across the region.

 

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Chief Executive, Dougie Scarfe OBE, said:
“We’re excited to launch the search for the next BSO Young Associates, and to support more brilliant young people from the South West with training, mentoring and practical experience over the coming year.

“It takes enormous passion and commitment to launch a career as a young creative today – and for people traditionally underrepresented in the sector the stakes are often high. We’re deeply proud of alumni from the scheme, who all continue to work in the sector – they remain the boldest advocates for the empowering impact of music-making. We are grateful to The Calleva Foundation for their shared faith in the programme and their pledge to support it from 2026-29.”

 

Stephen and Caroline Butt, Trustees of The Calleva Foundation, said:
“We’re delighted to support a programme that nurtures the next generation of outreach specialists, providing life-changing career pathways for young people and helping to create a more diverse musical workforce.”

 

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is a registered charity, which exists to bring music into people’s lives. In addition to its world-class concert hall performances, the Orchestra supports people of all ages and backgrounds across creative health and wellbeing, music education and community music-making. Last year, it delivered almost 400 learning and participatory events, in more than 100 venues throughout the South West of England.

 

The BSO Young Associates programme in 2026-29 is generously funded by The Calleva Foundation, in memory of Jack Butt. For full details and to apply, visit bsolive.com/jobs – entries close on Sunday 16 August.  

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